The process of matching artists with venues, known as “Connections,” begins at 12 noon today in the run up to the $560,000 competition and exhibition that has the potential to be the biggest ArtPrize ever.

Six weeks of courtship between artists and venues ultimately will decide the look and feel of the sixth annual exhibition with radically revised prizes and awards for 2014.

ArtPrize 2014 returns Sept. 24 for 19 days of a strolling downtown art exhibition through the streets of Grand Rapids.

ArtPrize 2010, the biggest exhibition in the five-year history of ArtPrize, welcomed a total of 1,713 art entries to 192 museum, churches and stores within a 3-square mile area of downtown Grand Rapids plus Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outside of the city.

Venue signup closed April 10 with 193 offices, restaurants and public parks signed up to be part of the competition created by social media entrepreneur Rick DeVos. One more was added a week later following required site inspection.

You can see all 194 venues, from the Acton Institute to Zoup! in the Medical Mile Food Court online at ArtPrize's website.

Artist registration opened on April 21 for artists interested in competing for $280,000 in prize money, selected by popular vote among viewers; and for an identical $280,000 that will be awarded by jurors.

Prior to today's opening of Connections, more than 600 artists had registered this past week to be a part of the event dubbed the "world's largest art prize."

Later today, the names and entries of artists and artist teams will begin appearing online, once they've officially reached an agreement with a pub or park to host their work during ArtPrize 2014.

Artist registration will continue until June 5. Connections ends on June 19

Ultimately, all venues must secure work by at least one artist, and each registered artist must find a venue in order to participate in this fall’s exhibition and competition.

Last year, 17 venues failed to make a match, leaving just 169 spots in the fifth edition of the exhibition and competition. Several hundred artists failed to find a home for their work and were excluded as well.

ArtPrize 2014's revised prizes will award $400,000 in two grand prizes and $160,000 in eight category awards. Half will be chosen by the people, casting votes through various forms of social media. The other half will be decided by a panel of jurors.

At the conclusion of ArtPrize 2014, five prizes in all worth $280,000 will be chosen by the people, voting online or through social media, to pick the $200,000 ArtPrize first prize and four category prizes, each worth $20,000, for Best Two-Dimensional Work, Best Three-Dimensional Work, Best Time-Based Work and Best Installation.

The $200,000 ArtPrize Juried Grand Prize, sponsored by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, will be determined by a three-judge panel. Jurors also will award four category prizes, each worth $20,000, for Best Two-Dimensional Work, Best Three-Dimensional Work, Best Time-Based Work and Best Installation.